


Christmastime is Here

by fae_of_the_rose



Series: Advent [2]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: Christmas, F/M, Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-11
Updated: 2015-12-11
Packaged: 2018-05-06 02:57:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5400290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fae_of_the_rose/pseuds/fae_of_the_rose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tauriel's done Christmas before, of course, but there is no way to prepare for Christmas Eve with Kíli's family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Christmastime is Here

Whatever Tauriel expected when Kíli invited her home for the holidays, this was not it.

Alright, she expected the fifty different kinds of alcohol. His youngest uncle ran a brewery and a family friend a winery and booze was just something to be expected. The mountains of food, those she expected as well. There were at least _thirty-five people here_ and most of them ate like Ragnarok was coming and they needed to pack on the calories (and yet none of them ever seemed to gain weight). And of course she expected a tree or two. It _was_ Christmas, after all.

She did not, however, expect to see her boyfriend and his brother being chased up a tree by their cousin, while said cousin’s boyfriend took photos on his phone and the youngest members of the gathered crowd threw popcorn up at them. (Kíli attempting to catch the popcorn with this mouth…that, at least, was normal.) 

“Tauriel! Gimli, you gotta let me down, my girlfriend—”

“Will understand if I don’t let you down until you apologize for calling Legolas a poncy hipster. She’s his best friend, after all.”

Tauriel blinked. “But he is a poncy hipster.” 

The gathered crowd cracked up at the look on Gimli’s face. Legolas, laughing as well, gently took his hand and led him off, giving Fíli and Kíli time to scamper down the tree. Fíli waved and went inside; Kíli came over, leaning up to kiss her.

“Thanks for that.” He smiled. “Dunno why he got so upset. He calls Legolas that all the time!”

“Legolas calls _himself_ that,” Tauriel murmured. “He has a _shirt_ that says it! That Gimli bought him!”

Kíli laughed and took Tauriel’s hand. “Yeah, I don’t get it. Maybe it’s a ‘only I can mock my boyfriend’ thing. Here, did you bring anything?”

“It’s in my bags. You’re sure no one minds me just giving the family a few gifts for everyone to share?”

She was assaulted with the spicy smell of chili as Kíli opened the door and led her in. Balin and Bilbo waved from their spot in the main room. “Come on, you can set your stuff up in my room. Mom, Tauriel’s here, going to put her stuff up!”

“I’m sending one of Bombur’s up if you’re not down in twenty minutes!”

“Yeah, no sex with the kids awake!” 

Tauriel’s ears turned a bright red as the older members of Kíli’s family laughed. “Frerin?

Kíli was just as red. “Yeah. He, uh, well there’s a reason Thorin’s so good at the stone-faced look of disapproval, yeah? Here, my room’s upstairs. And of course they’ll be fine with it, you’re a broke college kid and you’re giving us more board games. We’re always looking for something Nori can’t cheat at.”

Tauriel chuckled. “Don’t let him play Munchkin, then.”

The upstairs was a haven of peace after the chaos of the downstairs, and Tauriel felt herself relax. She hadn’t even realized how tense she was. Kíli said nothing until they were in his bedroom. “You okay? Seemed kinda tense there.”

He actually noticed. “I didn’t expect such a crowd. My Christmases are usually me, Legolas, maybe Thranduil if he’s feeling social, and previously you and Gimli. It’s a bit much, that’s all.”

He chuckled softly. “Yeah, it’s a bit crazy. But I love them. Love you more, though. If you need a break, I’ll make up some story to keep them from looking for you.”

Smiling, Tauriel rolled over. “Promise?”

“Promise.” Kíli leaned in.

_Bang! Bang! Bang!_

“Mom says come down, dinner’s ready!” 

“Ow—fuck off, Fíli, we have twenty minutes!” Kíli glared at the door as his brother ran back downstairs, cackling. “Jerk. He did that on purpose. You okay? We knocked heads pretty badly…”

Tauriel just groaned. 

Eventually they made their way back downstairs. The crowd outside had moved inside, increasing the volume tenfold. (Legolas passed Tauriel a pair of earplugs as she walked by and she noticed he had a set in. Apparently he wasn’t used to the noise even after dating Gimli for longer than she and Kíli had been officially dating.) The only people who didn’t seem to be yelling and joking were Ori and teenager Tauriel thought might be Bilbo’s nephew. They had on headphones and were reading.

Smart.

Tauriel lost herself in the whirlwind of names flung at her. Some she knew from previous visits, but she sincerely hoped no one expected her to remember all of Bombur’s children or the names of anyone’s spouses. After the names came drinks (and oh, how awkward it was to tell them that she doesn’t actually drink scotch or stout or anything that isn’t red wine or lager, she’s pretty sure she barely escaped being kicked from the house by Kíli’s puppy eyes) and the food.

It’s not until later that Tauriel’s given a chance to actually process anything that’s happened. She and Kíli are curled together in his bed, a collection of Rankin-Bass specials in the Blu-ray player. She’d never seen any of them beyond Rudolph, and Kíli just couldn’t have that (even if he was playing some mobile collecting game instead of watching them).

“…It was nice.”

“What was?” Kíli looked up from his phone, twisting to look over his shoulder at her.

“Earlier. Wore me out, but…I’ve never had a Christmas Eve like that. Or a dinner like that.”

That makes Kíli grin and shift in her arms. “Just think, tomorrow’s going to be even better. _Santa’s_ coming,” he reminded her, eyes wide like a little kid’s. “And we’re having the chili tomorrow. And we get to kick ass at Thousand Blank White Cards, you’ll love that game.”

As Kíli rambled on about what she could expect for the morning, Tauriel just smiled.


End file.
